Secrets of a Tactician
by Haruhiryu
Summary: Following the death of Ylisse' Exalt, Lady Emmeryn, the Shepherds have a short respite before returning to battle to deal with Plegia's Mad-King. However, a surprising, unexpected event occurs that may destroy the inner workings of the Shepherds and any chance of victory against Gangrel.
1. Chapter 1

"Pregnant!"

"Yes," replied Libra, much calmer than his two allies.

"Who's the father?" Chrom growled.

"How far along is she?" Maribelle hissed.

Looking at Maribelle he responded, "We think two months…" turning his head to Chrom, "…but she won't give his name."

"WE think?" High-pitched, Maribelle's face turned red with rage, not that Chrom could say his face was in much better condition, but that really didn't matter right now.

"Yes," replied the monk, "She already suspected she was pregnant, but she was hoping to keep it to herself until after the battle with Gangrel."

"That daft simpleton!" Marching over to the curtain, Maribelle wrenched it open; Chrom following close behind. Sitting in the infirmary bed, Robin was playing with a ring on her finger. She had a quiet smile on her face, as if she never heard the shouting that occurred outside. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, when focused on something, she lost track of everything around her. Seeing the sight, the two stopped, unable to intrude.

Libra peeked over their shoulders, "She's been doing that since her admittance," he said with a slight smile. "It seems she's been carrying it on a necklace, being that she couldn't wear it on her finger. Be at peace. At least they're already married."

"Married!" the two hissed, dragging the curtain close. Libra nodded. The two stood there in a blank daze.

Libra himself had only joined the Shepherds a few days ago, and even he could read the raw emotion on their faces. He had an idea of what would transpire, and knew that maybe he should stay to mediate the argument, but this was something that shouldn't be held back. The emotions should flow, and only then would all parties feel relief. He nodded to the two, "If you need any more assistance, please call. I'll be in my room."

"Libra," Maribelle softly said, while Chrom remained lost in thought. Libra smiled slightly, leaving the infirmary to return to his room to pray. To pray for solace of all parties involved; to pray for the quick defeat of the Plegian King; to pray for the happiness of his little comrade and her spouse; to pray for a future safe birth.

Chrom didn't even hear Libra leave, his brain only processing the new information. Robin had only joined the Shepherds three months ago, slowly integrating herself into the hearts of all his comrades; and obviously, one more so than the others, being that He stole her heart, married, and impregnated her! He, whichever Shepherd it was, would definitely get a thrashing! He would be thrown him out of Ylisse proper! Chrom himself would crush every bone in his body, and even that wouldn't subdue the rage burning in him! Gods! She had barely been in his life, yet she was his friend, his best friend! His other half! Gods, he…he loved her… Maybe that's why he was as rankled as he was, but that wasn't the focus right now.

"Robin!" Yanking open the curtain again, he made his way to the bed.

"Chrom?" She jumped a bit, quickly looking over to the prince. Seeing the seething anger on his face, her head turned back down in shame, tears forming in her eyes, twisting the ring on her finger.

Damn, he was scaring her. He took a deep breath, then released it. After doing this several times, he sat at the edge of the bed, and calmly called her name again. She looked at him, but just with her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" He reached over, lifting her face, and the tears drip down.

"Chrom…"

"I thought we were closer than this. No secrets between us. Two parts of a whole. Best friends."

"Chrom…"

"Tell me, who it is?" She shook her head, he dropped his hand. "Robin…"

"I can't Chrom. I promised him."

"There's no reason to keep such things secret Robin."

"He's right my dear," Finally breaking her silence, Maribelle walked to the opposite side of the bed, and sat down, taking Robin's left hand. "There is no reason to keep such secrets, darling. Just tell us the name of the rapscallion who defiled you, and we shall deal with Him."

"Maribelle!"

"Are you not thinking the same thing, Milord?"

"Even so…"

"Stop it! Both of you!" They looked at her. "Don't you dare talk about him like that! You don't even know who he is, and you're blaming him all for this! 'It takes two to tango' as they say. I am just as guilty as he, maybe even more so."

"Of course not, Robin." Chrom shook his head.

"I am Chrom. The night that he proposed, I…I forced myself on him."

"What?"

"Well, not physically, Maribelle…most of the Shepherds could easily stop me if they chose. I mean mentally. I pushed him until he gave into my request. I…I've been in love with him since the first day we met. When he proposed, it was the happiest day of my life! And still, I was greedy…I wanted him so badly Chrom. I know how wrong that sounds, but I wanted to be his, and I wanted him to be mine. I'm sorry Chrom, so sorry…"

Maribelle bit her lip, trying to restrain the urge of hitting the tactician. As a woman, Maribelle understood those feelings well, but as Robin's friend, it just angered her that their intelligent, young tactician would do something so…imprudent. After breathing out a sigh, she took both girl's hands. "Darling, that's what love is. No one will blame you, but you still need to tell us who He is." Robin shook her head again.

"When he proposed, he said we couldn't say anything, not until the war was over."

"Why?" Chrom knew his anger was rising again. A Shepherd, one of his soldiers, purposefully wanting to hide the truth from him, from the whole army. And forcing Robin into this farce. This was really not improving Chrom's image of Him.

"Chrom," he stirred from his thoughts. Robin could read him like a book; he wore his emotions on his sleeve. "I know what you're thinking Chrom, and yes, I agreed, but it was because I felt the same, not because he forced me. I'm not happy to have lied to everyone, but I did it because it was my duty."

"Duty?" He questioned.

"Chrom, he…" she stopped herself, rethinking how to phrase her thoughts. "I'm your tactician Chrom. If we revealed our relationship, we may have received your support, but how many soldiers would think I wasn't taking my job seriously? How many people would think I wasn't giving my all? How many would think me just a love sick school girl, who couldn't keep her emotions in check? In these two months, how often do you think I've been with him?" She strongly emphasized the "been," so neither would mistake her meaning. Maribelle blushed a little while Chrom shook his head. He had no answer and didn't even want to think about such things. "Three times, Chrom! Three! Twice before the Exalts assassination attempt and only once following her death. We've rarely even seen each other in private.

"Chrom…I have nothing of worth but my skills, yet you, yet everyone, has opened their hearts to me, accepting me for who I am. I want to repay you, I want to repay everyone, by doing only what I can do best! I'm an amnesiac Chrom, but for you who has given me a chance, who has put all his trust in me, I can't relax, I can't fool around, we can't be together." She finally took a shuddering breath, fresh tears slipping out of her eyes. "…But even then…even then, I couldn't even do that job right!" She murmured, pulling her hands away from Maribelle, she curled her body into a ball, her breathes coming out infrequently and broken.

Maribelle wrapped herself around the poor girl's shoulders and looked at Chrom, tears in her eyes as well. "Say something!" She mouthed, no real voice leaving her lips.

"Her death, Emm's death, was not your fault Robin. As I said days ago, the fault, our preparedness, was mine not yours." His voice shook. In reality, he never, never, placed any blame on his tactician, not one ounce. If only he was faster, quicker to understand Emm's actions…she…she wouldn't be…Gods! He had no idea how much remorse Robin had, how much responsibility weighted on the girl's shoulders, how much emotion she kept in check just to strengthen everyone else's morale! He had put her into this situation, unknowingly forcing her to keep quiet about her emotions. Even though no one in the Shepherds knew her real age, she was what, no more than twenty! Most thought she was barely older than Lissa. And yet, she couldn't even be herself. He knew about her sleepless nights, staring at maps or reading tactical texts. Had he ever seen her doing something fun? Yes, she spent time with the Shepherds, but maybe, somewhere in the depths of her mind, she thought that this was part of her job, to learn about them so she could most effectively use them, to most effectively keep them, and everyone, safe. What of the other moments of calm? Thinking on it, the only "hobbies" she had were learning or improving her skills. Even when she was reading, he realized, rarely anything was fiction, everything had been historical, tactical, or in some way helpful to the Shepherds. Even the fiction she read was to understand the Shepherds better, namely Sumia. He never realized what a burden he placed on her, and he called her his best friend! And the one choice she made, a choice of selfish desire, he had thrown back at her as criticism.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. Maribelle dropped the embrace, having an idea what Chrom wanted to do. She got off the bed, going to the nearest window to dab at the tears dripping down her face. "I'm sorry," he said again, wrapping his arms around Robin, her petite body tensed in his arms, he felt tears rise in his own eyes, he felt the shudders, heard her breathe. "I'm sorry for judging your choice, I'm sorry for hurting you. I…we…everyone, will respect your choice. Whoever He is, whatever your future personal choices are, we will respect them because we love you. I'm sorry, Robin…I'm sorry…" He felt her head nod, but she couldn't say anything. The three remained in silence for several minutes; only when the nine o'clock bell rang did he feel Robin move within his embrace.

"Thank you Chrom," she softly spoke. Her eyes were red, but she did her best to rub the remaining tears from her face. Maribelle walked over, taking back her previous seat. She reached for the damp cloth, in the bowl, that lay on the bedside table, and tried her best to soothe the swollen eyes of her friend.

Chrom got up, knowing that he needed to compose himself, especially with the meeting planned for later in the day. "I'll see you at the meeting, right? Can you still attend?" Robin nodded in response. Within a few seconds, she was lying in the bed, the wet cloth covering her eyes. "I leave her in your hands Maribelle."

"Of course, Milord!" She replied across the room, doing her best to compose herself as well.

As he turned toward the door, her voice caught him, and he turned around. "He's a good man, Chrom. I know you…you will trust him." She stumbled at the end, most likely readjusting her phrasing to protect her husband.

"I'm sure I do," he replied softly, with a smile on his face. All the Shepherds had earned his trust in one way or another. For Robin, for Him, he couldn't tear down those bridges because they weren't more open about their relationship. "The man you chose must be worthy of you. You wouldn't have chosen otherwise."

Although he barely heard it, he knew she silently whispered, "Thank you."

He continued to the door and opened it, knowing that he would have to free himself of his feelings for her, but there was plenty of time for that, for now, he just wanted her relaxing and safe, even if just for a few minutes longer…

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><p><strong>AN**

**Dear Reader,**

**Welcome! You may call my Haru. This is my first every fanfic, so hopefully it's good...or at least average. I am welcome to comments and critiques. I may alter ratings and etc, since I'm not a very good judge on such things...however, I think the current ones are fine as is. **

**This was actually supposed to be an one-shot; however, as part 1 spilled onto the pages, it hit over 1,000+ words (2,000+ by the end), so I decided to split it up. Currently the plan is 6-7 parts, it just depends on how chapter 5 rolls out.**

**Being that this is a "mystery" of sorts, besides Chrom, I will not be posting any of the male character's names, even though a few/most will be mentioned. Maribelle is the only other character I will mention because she plays a prominent enough role in the story.**

**I also ask that in the comments, DO NOT GIVE YOUR OPINIONS ON WHO THE FATHER IS. If you figure it out, good for you, but please keep it to yourselves. If you post such things, even with nice comments, it will be deleted (...I think I have such power...if not, ignore this ^^; ). Although people may realize who daddy is by chapter 3, or maybe sooner, I wish it to remain a "secret" until everything is revealed and I don't want the story ruined for people who don't figure it out until the end.**

**Although I have many stories planned. Since this is a "mystery" based on my OTP for the FeMU, I plan to finish this story before others come out (since most stories will revolve, or at least involve, this pairing).**

**BTW, I'm going with the default name, Robin. I would be more original...but I suppose I'm just too lazy (or something).**

**Just a FYI, I am calling this an AU. Although the main story won't be altered too much, this is an AU because Robin is pregnant, but not with Lucina. (spoiler[?]...it's Morgan) This story won't go into the birth, and etc, since it will end a little after chapter 11. I just wanted to sort this out.**

**As well, I have a feeling that one or more characters are out of character. It might not show in this first chapter (or maybe it does), but this is just an early warning. I hope to clear the reasoning by the end of the story. I only state this because a friend, knowing me and my OTP, figured out daddy by just reading chapter 1. From her comments, which I do agree with, this character is a bit OoC; however, I stuck with this story because if I didn't, chapter 1 would have lost A LOT of edge, and I couldn't think of how to compensate.**

**I do not have a schedule for posting. I already have chapter 2 and 3 completed; however, I would like to hear your comments before publishing them. If suggestions are made (and they are good points that I feel need addressing), I may alter the story...**

**Thank you for reading this! I hope for your continued patronage!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**2/1/15-not an update...realizing none of my section breaks were added, so I have to edit each chapter to put them in...cause I'm a perfectionist...sorry...**

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><p>Chrom left the infirmary, lost in thought. Not only would his tactician be sitting out this battle, but since she was one of the better fighters, they would also be losing some attack strength. Although this was Robin's expertise, he would still try to think of a way to help supplement the loss.<p>

"Milord?"

Chrom jumped, turning around to see Frederick, whom he didn't notice while passing. "Frederick," he nodded. Had the knight heard everything that happened in the infirmary? Most likely, or at least the parts that were shouted. Although standing as straight as usual, the knight had a worried, almost ghostly look on his face.

"Is Robin…well, milord?" He asked hesitantly. If Chrom remembered correctly, Frederick was the one who brought Robin in about an hour ago. Some of the Shepherds, Chrom knew, had training sessions in the morning, dealing with endurance, weapons, and strength. He would also sometimes join them, assuming he woke up early enough. Even their little tactician, who could barely run a mile when she first entered the Shepherds, had dived head first into training. With her body in better shape, she could at least keep up with the others. However, today, she collapsed, barely reaching the second mile. Leaving Sully and Stahl to continue the regimen, Frederick brought Robin to Maribelle, who was in charge of the infirmary for the day, and then rushed to Chrom, to inform him of the occurrence. When Maribelle could make no lead way, the knight had found Libra, escorting the healer to the infirmary.

Had Frederick really just waited outside this whole time? Probably, knowing the man. He may have been quite critical of Robin in the beginning, but over time, he had softened, or at least to the point where they could have a conversation without insults being thrown. The knight could have come in, instead of waiting outside the whole time; however, that was Frederick. Probably thought he wasn't privy to some of the information, although he most likely heard the major ailment.

"Did you hear what was being said?" Chrom finally asked.

"A bit, milord." He paused, thinking of the best way to respond without repeating the words aloud, he continued, "At least a couple of words were quite…audible."

"Well, for now, please keep this to yourself. Robin doesn't wish this information to be revealed for now."

"Yes milord," he bowed. "Understood."

Chrom looked at the knight a bit longer. Would he know anything about Robin's mystery man? Frederick was one of the more observant ones in camp, but if something strange was occurring, wouldn't he have notified him about it? As long as the information was pertinent to Ylisse, his charges, or the Shepherds, Frederick would have brought it up; and the fact of the Shepherd's tactician being married and pregnant would probably be an important tidbit. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

As Chrom stared at Frederick, he seemed to shuffle under the scrutiny. Or was that just his imagination? Frederick had woken him around 8 o'clock to deal with this matter, and sleep hadn't been finding him easily recently, not after the incident with Emm. He probably just imagined the movement, or maybe he needed to shift his weight for comfort. Or maybe…Gods, why was he thinking so much! This is partially why he had Robin, right? To deal with matters that required "thinking." Really, thinking never was his strong suit. It always gave him headaches that would last for hours. He might as well just ask the man. He was probably wasting the brunette's time just staring at him.

"Frederick?"

"Yes, milord?" The knight quickly replied, straightening even more, if that were possible.

"Have you heard anything around camp, especially anything relating to Robin and her…condition?"

Frederick paused for a while, a pensive look on his face. "No, milord," he finally replied. "I've heard nothing around camp relating to this."

Chrom sighed, "Very well, thank you Frederick." He turned, heading back to the direction of his room.

"Milord?" Chrom turned, seeing his aide still standing there. He nodded, indicating Frederick had his attention. "Is it alright if I went?"

Chrom sighed again. Sometimes, he couldn't understand this man. "I don't see why not? If it really bothered you, you should have entered and stayed in the room to begin with."

"It…it was not my place, milord." The knight stuttered, a slight pink crossing his cheeks, his eyes avoiding Chrom's. A stutter? A blush? Was that why Fredrick was concerned about the tactician; he also was interested in her? Well, neither of them would have a chance, being that she was "taken." Although he was taken aback, he wasn't surprised. Several male Shepherds have been vying for her attention. Although he knew of no one who openly admitted their feelings, the praises being sung around camp made it obvious that she had several admirers.

"Do as you like," Chrom replied. "Just remember the meeting at one, and once again, please keep this a secret."

The knight bowed, making an exact 90° angle. How he did that with all his armor on, Chrom could never figure out. "Of course mi-"

"SECRET!" Chirped a noise coming from behind Chrom. The two turned to see the blonde, pig-tailed healer bouncing towards them. It was odd that she was up so early, but with the dark circles under her eyes, both knew the reason sleep didn't have its claim on her.

"Lissa."

"Milady."

"What'cha talking about?" She purred. Both knew she was trying to charm the information out of them.

"Nothing of import, milady," the knight replied quicker than Chrom, in a calm, even tone. "What are you doing here? I don't believe you're stationed in the infirmary today." Chrom let out a breath. What would he do without Frederick? Although the man was no tactician, and could be infuriating at times, he was at least quick with words.

She hummed a little, slowly looking back and forth between her brother and her protector. "True, I'm not, but Maribelle is, and I'm sure she must be bored, so I thought to come and keep her company." She sped through her explanation, offering an angelic smile; however, neither were fooled, both knew that the cogs were spinning in her head. "What are you two doing outside the clinic?"

"Nothing," Chrom smiled nonchalantly, "We were just passing by, right Frederick?" He looked at the knight, who understood the meaning without any words needing to be exchanged.

"Yes, milord," Frederick replied with a smile. "Why don't I make some breakfast? You two must be quite hungry."

"Splendid idea!" Chrom grabbed his sister's elbow. "Wouldn't pancakes be lovely?" Although the knight had not proposed it, he would follow the suggestion without question.

"I'm not hungry, thanks," twisting out of her brother's grasp. "I would much rather have a chat with Maribelle." Moving pass her brother, she faced Frederick, who stood directly in front of the infirmary door.

"Isn't today an 'odd day,' milady?" Frederick asked. "I would quite like a lesson in relaxing." He placed his hand on Lissa's shoulder, guiding her away.

"Really? I thought you hated them!"

"I will not deny that relaxing is…difficult, but after all the events that have occurred recently, it probably wouldn't be such a bad idea. I hear after much hardship, it is common to…how do you say it…'take it easy.'" Chrom was surprised, he knew how much the knight hated those "lessons." He must care about Robin a lot to offer himself to his sister's training. As he thought this, Chrom could tell his sister was pondering the offer.

"Maybe later, 'kay?" She finally responded. Twisting just enough to escape the knight's grasp, she zipped to the door, entering before either could protest.

Chrom groaned. If Lissa found out anything, the news would spread throughout camp before you could say "Risen riding wolves." Just as he was about to follow, Frederick stopped him. "Milord, I'll take care of this. I'm sure you have other things to worry about." Before Chrom could say anything more, Frederick bowed again, disappearing behind the infirmary door before it closed completely. Chrom knew he should follow, but he really didn't want to deal with this mess. If Frederick was on the job, he could hopefully rest easier…Hopefully.

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><p>"MA – RI – BE – LLE!" This princess shouted through the infirmary. Frederick shirked from the echo, but it didn't stop him from closing the door properly.<p>

"My dove, what are you doing here?" She slipped out from behind the curtain, the clip of her boots echoing as she crossed the lonely infirmary room.

"Oh my gods! Maribelle, your eyes, what's wrong?" Lissa ran to her friend, daintily touching the noble's slightly reddened eyes.

"Nothing, love," she replied with a soft smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought you would be bored, so I came by." She peered over Maribelle's shoulder to the tightly closed curtain. "Is someone already in?" Lissa floated pass Maribelle before the older girl could stop her.

Although the infirmary wasn't big, Frederick finally reached Maribelle, right before Lissa disappeared behind the curtain.

"ROBIN!" Once again, the room echoed. Although the words weren't recognizable, the tactician's soft reply could be heard over the repetition of "Robin" bouncing off the walls.

Still keeping pace, Frederick made his way to the curtain; Maribelle somehow matching his stride. Looking at the knight, she could see the slight worry on his face. No doubt he heard what was said behind the doors, and if not, Chrom would have said something. "I will deal with the Princess," he said softly. "Please just follow my lead." He pressed onward, opening the curtain to see the tactician with a towel over her eyes, her right hand caught in Lissa's grasp, her left under the covers. The Princess was sitting in the chair that most likely occupied Maribelle several minutes earlier. Worry etched over her face, looking back and forth between Robin and the two standing over her.

"What happened to her?" Lissa demanded, looking directly at the knight. Standing, she finally released Robin's hand.

"It's nothing Lissa," the platinum-blonde spoke, waving her hand in a way to show there was no need to be concerned.

"I am so sorry, milady," the knight bowed.

How would Frederick get out of this debacle, Maribelle pondered, feeling slightly sorry for the knight under scrutiny. Even though he had only dropped off Robin an hour earlier, he did not enter the room again until now.

"It was my fault this occurred. Milord did not want you to worry over your friend, so we tried to detour you from entering." He paused, finally raising himself from the bow. Even though he towered over the blonde, it was obvious who was in control of the situation, or at least who thought was in control. "However, now that you're here, please let me recall what occurred. As per usual, some of the Shepherds, including Robin and myself, were out training in the early morning. I had failed to notice our tactician was sluggish, and I pushed her too far. I only heard later, from milord, that she had many sleepless nights due to strategizing the rescue, and only through recollection of the past few days, have I realized her sleeping pattern had been off due to the…failure. I'm not sure the exact cause, but there has been much build up to the problem currently." He bowed once more, "My apologies again for not having enough diligence and not informing you properly."

Was this really the knight Maribelle knew? Quite the spinner of tales Frederick had become. Had he always the skill, or was it due to the continuous interaction with the tactician, as of late? For what Maribelle knew, not only were they in physical training, but Robin was also learning cooking and knitting from the man. She even saw the two playing chess with Virion, or whatever the strange strategy game was. Maybe Robin wasn't the only one expanding their repertoire. She looked at the patient, seeing a smirk disappear quite quickly.

"Frederick!" The cleric chided.

"My apologies again, milady."

Lissa scowled, but couldn't remain mad at the man. Although she was well-versed in patient care, she also missed the signs of fatigue that claimed Robin. She knew many in the camp were dealing with the stress in different ways, and it was her fault as well for not being able to catch, chide, and reinvigorate each soldier; some slipped through the cracks, especially those like Robin who pushed until they broke. "It's alright," she finally sighed, "Just let me know these things from now on, both of you," looking at the knight and tactician. She took her seat again, grabbing her friends hand. "I might not be able to heal everything, but if you're able, please at least confide your problems to me. We're friends, yah?"

Robin smiled a little, a slight blush against her check. "Okay Lissa. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Just as Maribelle and Frederick were going to step out, Lissa called the knight back. "Frederick! After I'm done talking to Robin, let's move on to our next session! I'm planning a lesson on proper napping etiquette!"

The knight paled, but he brought in on himself, and whatever got Lissa away from the room, he would do it. The longer she stayed here, the more likely that the pregnancy would be leaked, and for the sake of Robin, and his promise to Chrom, he would endure the torture. "As…as you wish, Milady." He stammered nervously. Walking away from the curtain, he closed it to see Maribelle's hand over her mouth, stifling the laughter. Blushing again, for the umpteenth today, he waited until Maribelle finished. "Since I will be supervising Miss Lissa, please inform me if any more problems arise."

"Don't you mean Lissa will be supervising you?" The smile played across her face, and she made no attempt to hide it. The brunette scowled, but shrugged, once again waiting for Maribelle's fit of giggles to subside. "I will, Sir Frederick, I will." She finally said calmly, although the smile lingered on her face.

"Please also keep in mind the meeting at one. Even if she won't be leading the charge, we still need her wit in the planning."

"Of course! I would never allow our tactician to be late for her duties!" As they softly chatted, waiting for Lissa to finish her conversation, which no doubt would take several more minutes due to all the giggling, the door to the infirmary opened, revealing Libra. Although his hair was a bit out of place, he still had a refined mien.

"Good morning again," he gave a placid smile. When he left that morning, he noticed the knight's troubled face, so the monk knew that Frederick overheard at least part of the conversation, and obviously after the shouting earlier, Maribelle knew of the situation quite well. He looked at the objects in his hand. "After my morning prayers, I remembered a remedy to help morning sickness. Robin said she had some as of late, so I made this medicine and wrote down the reci–"

"MORNING SICKNESS!" Libra turned to see Lissa dashing out from behind the curtain. Turning to look at his companions, he could see how white they became.

"Oh my…" he stated, realizing the mistake he unknowingly made.

"Robin's pregnant!" With the Princess face-to-face with him, Libra backed away a bit. Although the cleric was petite like Robin, she could be quite intimidating. "How? Why? Who did this to her?" She rambled, not even waiting for answers. She turned to the ghosts behind her. "You lied to me!"

"Not…not exactly, Milady…"

"Please let us explain, darling…"

She didn't. Instead, she marched to the tactician, ripping open the curtains. "Robin!" She glared at the patient. Although the towel had remained over her eyes, she knew scrutiny had fallen back on her. She nervously played with her ring, under the covers.

"I'm sorry, Lissa…Please don't be angry." Her voice was soft and quiet, as if a puppy being scolded.

"I'm not angry," Lissa huffed, sitting on the bed instead of the chair. "Why didn't you tell anyone? We're friends! You're like a sister to me."

"I wanted to…I just wanted to wait until the war was over…" She sniffled. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Lissa took Robin's right hand. "I'm sorry for getting mad." Due to the quick pull, both hands were dragged from the covers, revealing the ring on the left hand. "Who's the father?" Lissa perked up, bouncing a little on the bed, especially when seeing the silver ring with a heart-shaped ruby.

"You'll find out after the war." Robin replied. Although Lissa pouted, and she wanted to dig more, there was something much more important to do than to wheedle information out of her extremely secretive, stubborn friend.

"I'll see you all at the meeting!" The girl bounced up, skipping out of the infirmary door before anyone could get another word in, totally forgetting her lesson plans with Frederick."I am so sorry!" Libra said, after the silence dissipated. "If I leave now, I'm sure I can catch her."

"It's fine Libra," Frederick sighed, still staring at the door. "It's too late already. Knowing her, she has probably already sprinted to the Barracks to tell any Shepherd there." He started to massage the bridge of his nose. Milord will not be happy.

"I…I can still try!" Quickly passing a dose of medicine, the recipe instructions, and the list of ingredients to Maribelle, Libra raced out the door.

Maribelle sighed, looking at the door, to Robin, and then back at the door. Her darling Lissa at least had a jump in her step again, although most likely at her patient's expense. Maybe this would also be a slight distraction for the rest of the looked at what was in her hand, quickly reading the instructions on how to make the powder and brew the tea. Before Lissa had entered, she was talking to Robin about pregnancy problems, and morning sickness was brought up. Although she had heard of this remedy, it didn't always quell the problem, but at least it would lessen the unpleasantness and nausea. Another sigh left her lips. Oh, that was not becoming at all! She looked at Frederick, noticing that his hand still held his forehead, obviously lost in thought. She coughed. He looked up, "Yes?" He replied in his monotone, and obviously irritated, voice.

"I'll inform Milord of this occurrence and bring some tea to calm all our nerves." She walked to the door, "You stay here and take care of Robin until I return. Do not, under any circumstances, allow another person, other than myself or Chrom, to enter! Do you understand?" She had turned back at the door, glaring at him."Understood, Milady." He bowed deeply. Frederick knew that visitors would be arriving soon. The meeting would be quite a mess now, but for at least a few hours, the three of them, or four if Chrom joined them, could at least have a moment of peace. He followed her, waiting for her to exit before he could lock it. Just as it was about to close, she heard it, very softly, "Thank you."She turned, unsure of why the knight would thank her, but he was an odd one. Either way, that wasn't the matter at hand. As such, she strolled to Chrom's room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**So, I thought I should just give you an image of this version of the avatar.**  
><strong>Size: 2 (I like the shorter stature ^^; )<strong>  
><strong>Face: 1 (I actually prefer 5, but I think 1 is best here)<strong>  
><strong>Hair style: 3 (Cutest in my opinion)<strong>  
><strong>Hair color: 1 (Tis whiteplatinum...I'm usually pretty random when deciding the hair color, but it most likely will be the default white when I'm doing these fanfics)**

**I hope chapter 2 is good, or at least meets your expectations! Comments are appreciated (but do not go blurting out who you think daddy is)**

**I will most likely add chapter 3 on the 13th or 14th.**

**Thank you for reading~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**A few FYI's before we begin...**

**1) Good news...as promised...new chapter! It's a bit short, and I'm not happy with it, but it's more of a "help the storyline move chapter," so I think it's needed. Even though I'm not happy, I'm at least proud enough to call it my writing**.

**2) Bad news...I won't update until next week, most likely around 1/20 or 1/21. I've mostly finished chapter 4, however, I'm still writing chapter 5 and "6," which will hopefully be a simultaneous release. ("6" is more of an extra chapter...I won't say much more ;D )...Because I plan to write new stories, I would like some buffer. Since I am going to try and release my new story at the same time I release ch 5 and "6," I'm going to start spacing out my updates.**

**3) Updating...the dates I give are based on HST (Hawaii Standard Time), being that I live in Hawaii. If I update "late," it is most likely because I am on HST, and everyone else is ahead of our time zone, so please be patient with me. ^^**

**4) Once again, if you have an idea who daddy is, please don't blurt it out in the comments.**

**5) Finally...comments and/or kudos are appreciated (assuming you like the work ^^; )**

**Thank you in advance, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D Till next week!**

**2/1/15-not an update...realizing none of my section breaks were added, so I have to edit each chapter to put them in...cause I'm a perfectionist...sorry...**

The information spread like wildfire around the barracks. As Maribelle presumed, many of the Shepherds had tried to enter the infirmary, only to be turned away at the door by Frederick or herself. Even the more determined of the Shepherds finally gave up, realizing that the tactician would be at the meeting, and they would be able to see her then. No doubt, that was the reason for the strategy room to be filled to the brim. Maribelle herself did not usually attend the meetings, but with her patient in the room, she could make an exception, just this once. She sat next to Robin who was in deep discussion with one of the men behind her; Chrom stood to the right, while Frederick at Robin's left. It was almost one, but the meetings never started on time.

Maribelle listened to the banter next to her. Each time the tactician stood up, Chrom pushed her straight back into the chair.

"I'm not an invalid Chrom!"

"You're pregnant Robin."

"Two months! I can stand!"

"It's better to be safe than sorry."

"I'm not used to sitting in a strategy meeting! It's uncomfortable! Stop being a mother-hen!" And the sparring continued as such. Maribelle noticed that the knight did not intercede, just following the banter with his eyes. Every time one took a sip of tea, leaving the cup dry, he would refill it. Every time the last snack was finished from a plate, another treat appeared. Even she was receiving the benefits of his astuteness. Frederick had tried to give his opinion earlier on in the discussion, but both told him to "mind his own business," and they bickered on. The knight, realizing it was a losing battle, remained at his station, doing simple tasks that weren't asked.

Maribelle turned her attention to the others in the room. Just a day ago, the Shepherds were emotionally low. Talking was at a minimum, and laughter even a rarer commodity, but with the intrigue of the pregnant tactician and mysterious husband, the small, inter-woven army, seemed alive again. The murmurs and rumors bubbled. Some were just excited about the wedding and baby to come, even fewer were sullen or grumbling, most likely since the tactician had a lover. The majority though, were talking about the mystery man. As for the men who were possible husbands, they were either keeping silent, arguing their case, or acting as if they weren't involved, disputing with the majority that so-and-so was a much better prospect than such-and-such.

There were quite an abundant amount of choices: Chrom, Frederick, Virion, Stahl, Vaike, Kellam, Lon`qu, Ricken, Gaius, Gregor, Libra, Donnel, and even Basillio. Listening to the bickering between Lord and Tactician, most gossipers knew that she was only two months along, leading Ricken, Gaius, Gregor, Libra, and Donnel to be out of the picture, being that these men were acquainted with the tactician two months or less. Lon`qu was also out, since he only barely tolerated standing next to Robin, or any woman for that matter. If he couldn't touch her, how would he be able to have sex?

This left Chrom, Frederick, Virion, Stahl, Vaike, Kellam, and Basillio. Chrom was the obvious choice, especially since the two were bickering like an old married couple, but knowing their leader, he wouldn't have hidden his feelings, or marriage, from the group, nor would he be able to keep them hidden, after all, he was a horrible liar. If he had married two months ago, it would have been obvious to the majority of the Shepherds, especially for those who have known, or served, the lord for years. Although his name was mentioned in conversations, most thought he was unlikely.

Frederick's name popped up once or twice, but only because he was a man who fit the time frame. Many of the Shepherds couldn't believe the wary lieutenant would break his principles for an elopement with Robin. Even though the two knew each other for as long as Chrom knew the tactician, and he was recently spending a fair amount of time with the girl, a one-month romance was not likely for a man such as Frederick. As well, Frederick, being Frederick, would have announced his engagement, at the very least, to Chrom; however, as the bickering went on, it was obvious that Chrom was also unaware of the tactician's lover. So, like Chrom, Frederick was barely mentioned.

Even though Kellam never stood out, he was also a candidate. Due to his strange stealth-like ability, even with his bright orange knight armor, wouldn't it be easy for him to rendezvous with the tactician? Yet, his name only popped up a handful of times, and most people forgot his existence soon after saying his name, if they could even remember it to begin with.

Stahl and Vaike were higher on the list of suspects. Both were quite open when first introduced to the petite strategist, and neither made much attempt to hide their interest in the platinum. For those who knew Vaike, he was the type to jump head-first into such an arrangement, but he was also the type not to keep quiet about it. Stahl, on the other hand, had more control, being known as a calm and respected Shepherd, even guiding some of the younger and more timid recruits. Although not secretive by nature, Stahl could keep secrets, and he also had a disposition that matched Robin well. However, Stahl wasn't perfect, just average, so hiding the hints of a romantic relationship would probably be difficult for the Cavalier, although with the help of the tactician, it wouldn't be impossible.

Next was Basillio. Although the man wasn't usually around the platinum, he was the type who could easily slip into a woman's heart. Although no one knew his age, or were willing to ask, most assumed he was at least Gregor's age, making Basillio over 50, being that there were rumors that the two had matches in their prime. Still, he was quite the charmer, and even if he wasn't the best looking man, he looked quite well for someone his age. However, like Vaike, if he was the husband, wouldn't he have proudly announced it, and whisked the tactician away to Feroxi?

The last, and most spoken name, was Virion. The man with a silver-tongue was known to be quite the skirt-chaser. Would Robin really fall for such a fellow? Yes, the two were quite close, especially with all the strategy games they played in the barracks, and maybe an amnesiac would fall for such a man's charm, especially when he pours compliments on her like sugar over strawberries, but for what most knew, Robin wasn't the type to fall for simple simpers of romance and intricate words of wooing.

Really, none of the Shepherds, or allies in Basillio's case, were very viable candidates, but someone had to be her husband. A woman couldn't just get pregnant by being around men for a long period, and so, the arguments and ramblings continued until Chrom called the room to order.

* * *

><p>"As you all know, Robin here is pregnant." His hands on her shoulder, keeping her seated. She had a pout on her face, but since the meeting started, she decided it was best to stop arguing. "However, if you wish to talk to her more about her condition, please do so after this meeting. We're here to solidify our plans against the Mad-King, not to socialize." Crowd mumbled around him, since a majority were here just for Robin, but they left it at that, there would be time later to prattle and bother the Tactician. "Furthermore, even though I don't enjoy throwing around my weight as commander, in this one case I'm making an exception. I am banning Robin from accompanying us into the upcoming battle." The room fell silent. Slowly, as the troops let the idea sink in, mumbling started, then conversation, and finally shouts, some of approval and others dissent. Chrom had expected this reaction, but he knew the worst was yet to come; his biggest trouble had stood up. He could feel the tension between them, her eyes focused on him, but he ignored it. Instead, he stared at the commotion in general, waiting for the rest of the room to settle. After at least ten minutes, the room started to quiet, realizing the person being "punished" had yet to say anything. The silence spread as the Shepherds stared at the front of the room, waiting for their leader and Tactician to speak.<p>

Disquieting as it was, no one said a word. Swallowing, Chrom finally turned to face his Tactician. Although a head shorter, she was intimidating. Glaring, no, but she had such a dark look to her face. "I'm going." Were the only words that left her mouth.

"You have more than one person to think about."

"Yes, you and the whole army."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"I wouldn't mind if this was a normal battle, but this is the final fight with the Plegian King. As your Tactician, as the Shepherds Tactician, I cannot be making decisions from afar. There are too many unknown factors, the tide of battle can change at any point. I will not, nor can I, be ordering everyone from the sidelines. At least allow me to be in the back lines, if not the front. I need to be there with everyone. I need to be there with you."

He knew she didn't mean it in a romantic way, but his heart skipped a beat. Still, he had to stay firm with her. "It's my final decision."

"Then you can find yourself a new Tactician. I resign." She started to walk towards the door. Everyone's face agape due to how quickly this meeting was going downhill.

"Robin!" He grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn. "You don't seriously mean that!" His voice raising.

"I do." Her voice calm, in control, exactly opposite of his. "If you cannot respect me and my opinion, then I cannot remain your tactician. You enforce a rule, without even giving me an option or a say. This choice may affect me in the short-term, but in the long-run, especially in the battle ahead, it will sorely hurt everyone here. I could respect such an opinion if we debated and this was the only choice left, but it's not. Although I trust and respect your authority, I cannot abide by your illogical, emotional thinking."

He paused and looked at her. "Let's say you leave, where will you go? What will you do? As an amnesiac without a past, there is very little that you can return to." She flinched, but kept her face emotionless. He knew he was hitting below-the-belt, but he couldn't allow his Tactician, his friend, to leave. His world was dangerous, but with her at his side, they could handle anything.

"Chrom! Apologize!" His sister came to Robin's aid, but Robin stopped Lissa, keeping the Cleric at arm's length.

"I had no plans to bring this up, nor had I ever made any conscious thought to do so, but as this conversation is turning sour, I believe I have little choice; I have been offered Feroxian citizenship and their Tactician position." She turned to face the Khans who stood on the opposite side of the room. "If the offer still stands, I will go there. If not, I'm sure I can put my skills to good use elsewhere."

All eyes turned to the Khans. Just as Flavia was about to speak, Basilio put his hand out to stop her. He shook his head just a bit, and took a step forward. Although she could kick him out of the way as reigning Khan, and speak for Regna Ferox as its leader, she had no urge to push the matter, especially if the oaf was willing to do so. The man held the seat of West Khan for at least twice as long as she had been Khan of the East, so he could hopefully talk his way out of this predicament; especially since it had been decades since Ylisse and Regna Ferox had a decent political relationship.

Basilio guffawed. "Yah, yah, and the offer stands if the lass is wishing," He smiled at Robin, and a slight smile appeared on her face. "However, before we burn bridges, why not hear the lass out." He stared down Chrom, smile still on his face. Although Chrom held the gaze, his face held a strained look. He wanted to keep Robin and her unborn child safe, but he didn't want to lose her. He knew it might be a losing campaign without her on the battlefield, but as her friend, if she wasn't willing to watch out for herself, he needed to do it for her, even if he wasn't her husband or the child's father.

Once again, the silence grew.

"Robin?" A voice squeaked, all eyes turned to the speaker. "If…if you left, what about your husband, your child's father?" As many of the woman were, Sumia was close to Robin; tears were gracing her eyes, worried at the situation at hand. She wasn't the smartest, but like everyone else, she could read the tension in the air.

Robin looked at Sumia, keeping eye contact. Although Robin's face softened, there was sadness, or maybe worry, in her eyes. Still, her voice remained cold; the chill was not aimed at her friend, but at the man she married. "If he's smart, which I believe he is, he'll come with me."

* * *

><p>In the meantime, two men didn't hear a word of the conversation; Basilio had crossed the space between himself and Chrom, since all attention was drawn away. Putting one of his bulking arms around the royal's shoulder, Chrom stiffened. "Boy, you might be doing a service to the lass, but pick your battles wisely. You may be saving her from harm, but you'll be losing something much more important. Let her say her piece, and if you still disagree, talk it out. Ruining your friendship ain't worth the hassle." Removing his arm, Basilio sauntered back to Flavia.<p>

Chrom sighed. This really wasn't worth the hassle. He knew she could handle herself on the battlefield; he knew that everyone, not only himself, would keep a special watch over her; he knew how stubborn she was, and that this was a losing battle. Yet, he couldn't give in. After losing Emm, he couldn't think about losing someone else, equally as special. Still, wouldn't he lose her if he didn't give in? The inner turmoil continued to brew as he ignored the silence that surrounded him. Although all eyes were on him, he kept his eyes closed, face scrunched in thought, and the Shepherds were forced to wait. "Fine," he stated. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked straight at Robin. "We hear out your plan, but if anything puts you in danger, even for an instant, and we can't compromise a problem that occurs, we return to my plan, and go from there. Understood?"

Robin pondered the thought for a moment. This was probably the best she could get from him, so she nodded. Enthusiastic screams and noises filled the room. With the tension broken, the room quickly filled with jabber; most Shepherds forgetting the reason of the meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

"Due to the terrain, we won't be able to bring our full strength into battle. This limits us to a group of fourteen." After about an hour of jabber and ruckus, the Shepherds finally settled down, allowing the meeting to continue. Finally allowed to stand, the tactician was next to a map on the wall; a scene of the terrain as gathered by some of their scouts. All other Shepherds, some sitting, most standing, had their eyes up front, watching and listening. "Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio will be leading their troops as a distraction, to divert some of Gangrel's men. All Ylissean fighters, who are not on the battlefield, will be on standby. This includes creating an escape route, making sure the troops on the field aren't attacked from behind, and having people ready in case major medical injuries occur. So far, I'm only definite about Chrom, Olivia, and myself. Olivia will be paired with Chrom for this battle, and I'll be in the backlines."

"Hold on," Basilio's voice spoke out. "Nothing against your tactics, lass, but Olivia isn't an offensive fighter, she's better off at the back."

Many of the eyes turned towards Olivia, including Robin's. Although a blush surfaced, and in general, she would turn away from those piercing eyes, she couldn't turn away from Robin's gaze. The look wasn't creepy or intimidating, critical or lustful, more like analyzing, and maybe even mesmerizing; it was a strange feeling for Olivia, especially since it was rare for her not to be able to describe her own emotions. The most comparable feeling was when she was dancing while others watched, where she was the only one on stage and the world revolved around her, but in this instance, the roles were reversed, and it was Robin who was the center of the room, even though all eyes were currently on herself. Even then, this wasn't really the atmosphere Robin was giving; it truly was a feeling that couldn't be described.

"If that is Olivia's wishes, I'll change my plans; however, as a fighter, I see much latent potential in her. Although a Dancer would be useful in this army, if she isn't able to protect herself, she would be useless." Olivia cringed hearing the tactician speak, but her words weren't criticizing or harsh, just truthful; Robin was trying her best to soften her analysis. "In the future, Olivia can remain a Dancer, if she wishes, but currently, I have a proposal where she could become one of the strongest units in our army. The strategy will involve a lot of stress and training, maybe even blood on your hands in the future, but it will keep you safe, and it will keep everyone you hold dear, safe."

Olivia's head didn't turn, but her eyes glanced over to Chrom, Basilio, back to Chrom, and finally returned to Robin. "I-I'll do it," She nodded with a tremble in her voice.

"Are you certain Olivia?"

Eyes remaining locked with Robin, a slight smile on the Tactician's face, Olivia nodded in response to Basilio's question. "Yes. I can't remain a burden to everyone. If I'm able to grow stronger, I have to do it under my own power. Robin says that this method will help me attain such strength, so I'm willing to do it."

Robin's face glowed. "Are you sure? The training will be strenuous." Even though she spoke in a stern voice, the pride in the Dancer was obvious. Olivia only nodded in response. "Very well." Robin walked over to whisper her plan in Olivia's ear. The pink-haired Dancer grimaced, but nodded.

"I…I have to make some preparations."

"Very well, I, or someone else, will inform you of our further decisions." With that, Olivia flowed through the crowd, leaving the congested room without touching a single person.

"Now then, to continue, joining me in the backlines will be Maribelle, Libra, and Lon`qu."

"What about me!"

Robin, as did many of the other Shepherds, turned to Lissa. Pouting, the princess obviously did not like the plan. "I know you don't like the decision, but we can't have all our healers on the field. We need at least one trained medic remaining in camp."

"Why not Maribelle or Libra then?"

"Lissa, our enemies grow stronger as each day passes. I am not belittling your abilities as a healer, but as a fighter, or at a least as an unit who can protect herself, you don't have that capability yet." Although it was unspoken, Lissa had declined the use of the Master Seal, allowing it to go to another person, Maribelle; this allowed her friend to become a Valkyrie, while she remained a Cleric. "Until you do, I cannot allow you onto such a battlefield. Maybe it was allowed earlier in our campaigns, but that was due to our lack of fighting medics and the strength of our enemies. For this battle at least, remain at base, and we'll work on your fighting capabilities in the future."

"Fine…" The pout still evident on her face. "But all of you better come back in one piece!"

"Of course, darling!" Maribelle replied, walking over to hug her best friend. "People might be injured on the battlefield, but me and Libra won't allow any casualties."

Lissa looked at Libra for confirmation, and the man nodded with a smile. "We won't, Lissa. I promise, in Naga's name." With that, Lissa smiled a bit, returning to her seat, as did Maribelle.

"To continue, along with the paired unit of Chrom and Olivia, we'll have four more units on the field. The first name will take the lead, the second will be support. These units include Nowi and Gregor, Cordelia and Gaius, Sumia and Frederick, and Panne and Kellam. We will slowly move our units through the battlefield, keeping out of range of Gangrel for as long as we're able. As we move through the field, we'll take as many forts as possible, since reinforcements will come from there. The backline fighters will remain out of range; however, if their healing abilities become necessary, they will go as close as possible to the injured, paired with Lon`qu as support, heal the fighter, and return out of strike range. As well, as soon as we're able, I'd like to capture an Archer, or an enemy combatant who wields either a javelin or a hand axe. We'll corner this person and keep him out of action until the main battle is over."

"Why are we doing that?" Chrom asked, staring at the map, arms crossed in concentration. "Capturing a fighter I mean."

"Simply, it's to help train Olivia."

"Give us the whole reason, Robin."

The platinum sighed and started to explain, "At the level Olivia is at, she can't even do much damage to a fly, and she would be knocked out with a single hit. The only way she'll be able to gain experience is through her dancing. Simply put, as long as there remains one combatant loyal to Gangrel, the battle won't end. We'll purposefully wait on dispatching this person so Olivia has time to gain experience through 'dance practice;' hopefully capping at level 30 by the end of the battle, she'll then be given a Second Seal to enter the Dark Flier class.

"Following the fight with the major forces, the previous pairs will either be rearranged or disbanded to continue with the plan. With the newly arranged pair of either Cordelia and Sumia or Cordelia and Kellam, they will lure away the fighter, and then Olivia will start her training. The remaining Shepherds on the field will be split; half of us will be on one side of the battleground, the other half across in the opposite direction. Olivia will go across the field 'transporting' people, with her dancing, until they reach the opposite side. She'll then transport the next person across to the opposite side. This will continue until she completes the Dancer class."

"Isn't that cruel to the enemy?" Lissa voiced.

"I agree with Lissa," Chrom said. "It would also be a waste of time and energy."

"I suppose," Robin replied, looking at the map, the empty seat where Olivia once sat, then back to Chrom. "However, for her own safety in future battles, this is the fastest, least bloody, way for her to reach her limit. As well, hopefully this will help her open up more to the rest of the camp. I've noticed that she shies away from the other Shepherds; only Khan Basilio and myself have interacted, and have had actual 'several sentence' conversations with Olivia. If she is to become an integral part of the Shepherds, she needs to interact more with everyone, and this exercise will hopefully help her do so."

"Very well," Chrom sighed. "As long as everyone else is fine with the plan so far," Chrom looked around the room, and although Basilio looked like he wanted to say something, he kept his mouth shut. Chrom sighed, "Let's continue then."

Robin nodded, turning her gaze back to the map. "Once Gangrel starts moving, we will be entering the most problematic interval of the battle. Gangrel himself is fairly fast and strong. He doesn't have power like Chrom and Frederick; his power comes from his Levin blade, which relies on magic. There are several Shepherds who are able to deal with physical blows, but very few with a high magic resistance. Other than myself and the Mages, we have very few alternatives. My first suggestion is to enter the fray myself," She turned to look at Chrom, seeing him glare. She then looked to the rest of the Shepherds, reading their mixed expressions, she sighed. "However, due to my condition, and the response I'm seeing, we will go for a more risky alternative.

"Instead of focusing on our defense, in this situation, we'll fight him with speed. The Cordelia, Sumia, and Chrom paired units will fight Gangrel. Cordelia and Sumia, as Pegasus Knights, have fair speed and an average resistance, while Chrom's unit will be the knock-out hit. We will also be sending in the back units incase this maneuver fails. The healers will enter within range to do their job. Nowi's group will meet them, separate, and create a shield in front of the healers once they come into range. Lon`qu will join in this formation as well. At the same time, Panne's group will be acting as a distraction to the 'captured' unit.

"However, if this plan fails, and the Shepherds are at death's door, I will enter the fray." She strongly emphasized the "will." Then raising her hand to stop Chrom from saying anything, she continued, "I do not expect to enter. I believe this plan will work; however, if we get into a situation where it is between the choices of me entering, taking undue risk, or me staying on the sidelines, watching all comrades die, I will enter the battle. I will only enter if necessary, and I'll take either Lon`qu or Libra as support." She turned to Chrom, waiting for his response.

He chewed his lip, and closed his eyes. "What is the likelihood that this will succeed?"

"Eighty-five to ninety percent."

"So there is a ten to fifteen percent chance that you will enter, assuming this plan fails."

"More like five percent or less. There is a ten to fifteen percent chance that we'll need to call in the backline to do major healing before Gangrel's defeat, using our lone Catharsis staff, and maybe a Physic if needed. Of course, if I entered from the start, the chance of victory would be close to ninety-nine percent." She looked to Chrom, seeing him glare again, she laughed, "I'm only joking of course."

Five percent…Chrom closed his eyes and cocked his head in thought. "This is your best plan, one not involving yourself?"

"Yes."

He sighed. If this was the best idea she had…

"Hold a moment." Eyes now turned to the bespectacled Mage. "Did you not express previously that Mages would be able to contend with the Levin onslaught? If so, would not Ricken or myself be adequate?"

Ricken jumped up, "I can…I mean we, we can do it!" He shouted enthusiastically.

Robin stared at the pair in thought, then turned to look at Tharja. Tharja, who seemed to be obsessed with her for some reason, was not paying any attention to the discussion at hand. Her darkened eyes darted to various men in the Shepherds, namely those who might be "her husband." Yet strangely, they always seemed to return to one man. Did she know? She shook her head; this really was not the time to be pondering this.

She turned her thoughts back to the suggestion, she shook her head. "The chances of success fall a bit, maybe to seventy-five, eighty percent; assuming we included magic users to the field. Although you might be able to survive for a bit in a fight against Gangrel, the problem is reaching him in the first place, especially with all the physical, strength-focused fighters in the frontlines. Even if I had you paired, acting as supports to other units, if something occurred to your partner, there is a possibility that you could become stranded, and depending on the situation, it might take too long to save you, even with a Rescue staff. I also thought about having Tharja as a main unit on the field, especially with her ability to use dark magic, such as Nosferatu, but the chance of severe injury is high due to the possible lack of support on the battlefield. Since no one is quite in synch with her yet, the ability to defend her in drastic situations is low." She turned to the Mages, "You understand the dilemma, yes?"

Thinking it over, Miriel finally replied, "Very well," and returned to her seat.

Ricken turned to look at Miriel, quickly at Tharja, then back to Robin. He sighed, but nodded at Robin.

Tharja was still quite oblivious to the conversation that had just occurred, and her eyes remained narrowed, now focusing on one man. Robin would have to deal with the hexing threat soon.

"Chrom?" The Tactician turned to the soon-to-be Exalt, waiting to hear his response.

He sighed in response. Five percent chance of Robin entering the fray. It was too high for him, but if this was her best plan, which he could not deny was good, although a bit disturbing with Olivia's planned "training," it was better than anything he could think of, and much better than the alternative of Robin leaving Ylisse. "Very well, if no one else has any complaints…" He scanned the room. The murmuring started again; he could tell that their usual counsel agreed with the plan, although the main problem was the majority who were waiting to pounce on the platinum. "Meeting…"

"Milord?" Chrom turned, as did many of the Shepherds. Although he had his usual serious face, to those who knew him well, it was obvious he had something to say. Chrom nodded, showing that he had approval to speak. "Would it be possible to switch Lon`qu, with myself as the backline guard?"

That was an odd request for the knight, for most knew that he was quite fond of being in the frontlines, especially when his charges, although only Chrom in this scenario, would be in a dire situation. It could be due to the infatuation with the Tactician, but was that really enough reason for Frederick to shirk his duties? Chrom sighed, Gods he had a pounding headache. "I don't see why not," but he turned to Robin to hear her response.

Although she had a smile on her face, it seemed…forced, or was that just his tired imagination? "It's possible, yes, and I don't think moving and switching units would alter the chance of victory much; however, I feel that you would be best used in the frontlines."

"With all due respect to Lon`qu and your strategy, but if you need a fighter who would be good at defense for the backlines, would I not make a better alternative. Lon`qu is fast, but defense is not quite his…strong suit." Many of the eyes in the room looked back and forth between the Great Knight and Myrmidon. The Myrmidon hmph-ed, but didn't seem to care. He was at the armies disposal, be it in the front or the back, he would do as he was told.

"True, I suppose, but if that's the case, would Kellam not make an even better defensive unit?" Focus returned to the heated discussion upfront.

"Maybe, but Knights are not known for their quick movement. As a Great Knight, with a steed, I would be able to keep up with Libra and Maribelle, if the need arose."

The room quieted. Frederick's comments were uncharacteristic, but they were true. The two faced each other with calm smiles, but obviously there was tension between them. Was he carrying some romantic flame for the Tactician? Was he angry at his "pupil," for almost all Shepherds had trained under the man, for keeping secrets from him and the others? Was this just some unusual revenge for the nickname of "Freddy-bear" that the Tactician seemed to favor? Or was it something else altogether? Really, only Frederick, and maybe Robin, knew the answer.

Seconds became minutes, and the minutes increased, almost reaching ten, but finally, the Tactician averted her eyes, biting her lip. All eyes remained on the "loser," waiting to hear her response. "Very well, you stubborn bear." The Great Knight's smile twitched a bit, but he remained in the same, usual position. "New formation, same plan. Lon`qu will partner with Cordelia, Gaius with Sumia, and Frederick is moved to the backlines. Are there any more suggestions?" Although still smiling, her head cocked in a strange, slightly disturbing manner. It was obvious that she was quite displeased by the turn of events. Even if someone had something they wanted to say, they wouldn't dare voice it, especially with Robin in "that" mood. "Good. Very well, meeting adjourned." With that, the Tactician walked out of the room; Maribelle quickly followed suited. The room remained silent, with only the movement and sound of Frederick clearing. Was this how all tactical meetings went?

Finally a voice, Nowi as it happened to be, spoke. "Did Robin just escape?" The Shepherds turned to the Manakete, then the door. A strange and hurried bustle started, the quickest of the curious made it out of the room first, although where the two women went, they had no idea. The library? The infirmary? Robin's room? No matter, they would search each and every nook and cranny to find the answers they wanted!

Others got trapped in the door, and only after the scrapping of metal and a strange dance, did the occupants escape. Finally, the cool and collected following left, going their own ways to find the Tactician. Remaining in the room were those who weren't interested in Robin's pregnancy, and even these individuals left to attend to other duties. Last to leave was Tharja, muttering to herself some hex or another, leaving only Chrom, Frederick, and the two Khans.

Finally, as the silence hit again, the Khans laughed. Chrom slumped into a chair. A petite cake remained untouched on a plate. Picking up a fork, he had no idea who the cake or the instrument belonged to, he stabbed it, strawberry and all, squishing the delicate fruit, then stuffing the whole cake into his mouth. He had such a tired, disgruntled, disgusted look, most people would not recognize him as the Crown-Prince…no, new Exalt of Ylisse.

As the laughing subsided, Basillio turned to the look at the Ylisseans with a mildly serious face. "Will we really be alright, boy?"

Frederick looked at his lord, waiting for a response, although the only thing that came was a grunt. Frederick sighed, bringing a small platter of uneaten cake to the man. Chrom, in response, started stabbing the poor things, stuffing them into his mouth with no care to his surroundings or the taste, to the baker's dismay. It was always like this when meetings went sour. Realizing that the Khans were still waiting for a reply, Frederick turned with a trusting smile, "If Robin believes this plan will work, then so do we."

**A/N:**

**La-Ti-Ta-Da! New chapter as promised...but first...**

**1) I will do my best to bring out ch 5 by the 27th or 28th, but if I'm late, I'm sorry. I highly doubt I will start my new series next week or simultaneously get "ch 6" released; however, you will get ch 5...DE-FI-NITE-LY!**

**2) I'm sure you're tired of hearing this, but please, do not make comments who daddy is. I feel like I laid out a bit of hints, but to those who are still in the dark, please let the surprise(?) hit them in ch 5!**

**3) Comments are appreciated (assuming you like the work ^^; )**

**4) So...Olivia's plan...I actually do this if I plan to marry her to Chrom or if I need another "strong unit." If you want a more thorough explanation, please let me know and I'll explain. (There are some parts I didn't add since they weren't important)**

**5) Totally forgot to include this in ch 3, but...I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters.**

**Thank you in advance, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D Till next week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**I...I did it...I was really worried that I wouldn't finish on time because...well...read the bottom A/N...not know! When you finish reading the chapter! D:**

**FYI:**  
><strong>1) This is a bit long...but I felt I needed to give a real battle...<strong>  
><strong>2) Next "chapter" will be out 23 or 2/4.**  
><strong>3) Reviews and etc. are appreciated...assuming you liked the work.<strong>  
><strong>4) I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters.<strong>

**2/1/15-not an update...realizing none of my section breaks were added, so I have to edit each chapter to put them in...cause I'm a perfectionist...sorry...**

Robin raced out of the meeting room. If it was by instinct or smarts, the Tactician wasn't sure, but Maribelle quickly followed. Staying true to her word, Robin disappeared to Olivia's room, telling the dancer the plan for the battle and just to stay and chat until the Shepherds tired out for the day. Amusingly enough, the Dancer and the Valkyrie got along quite well. Leaving just for a bit around dinner, Olivia returned with tea and a meal, accompanied by Frederick, who just happened to notice the Dancer's dilemma of getting food and drink back to her room. He left soon after, and the girls chatted until the moon was high overhead. Believing it was safe to return to her room, Maribelle escorted Robin back to her haven.

Sadly, the following days and weeks were not so easy for the Tactician. If she was not being harassed about her child's parentage, she was being stifled by various Shepherds; healthy food for expecting mother's and medicine to cure one ailment or another (all were quite horrible), being helped around the palace or on marches (even though she was still mobile), window-shopping for baby goods like clothes and a crib (she didn't have the money or room to even think of buying such things yet), and etc., etc. Still, even with all that, there was more planning to be done, meetings with Chrom to revise and improve the plan, preparing of the equipment, getting Tharja to promise not to hex her husband, traveling to Plegia for their final encounter, battling bandits and Risen that harassed various villages along the way, continuing with the army's accounting, and much more. How she survived each day, she couldn't say, but they all made it to the battleground alive.

* * *

><p>The battle had already commenced, neither side backing down. The clash of distant metal and the faint smell of blood lingered on the field. Maribelle held up a perfumed handkerchief to her nose, trying to at least be rid of the smell. As promised, they were on the backlines, although inching right along the outside of the attack perimeter. Several times, Libra, or herself, had to enter the battle radius; however, there was no major threat, and anything close was quickly demolished by either Frederick or a nicely timed hit by Libra and his Killer Axe. Even she had killed one of those vile miscreants, although, to be fair, Frederick had weakened him, but missed his vitals due to his inattention when he heard an inaudible shout from Chrom a distances away. Even though there was no danger, it had earned the knight a hit in the head with her parasol. "Pay attention!" She chided. He quickly looked at her, mumbled an apology, bowed, then looked back in the direction of the shout. She sighed. If he was going to be distracted, why did he even volunteer for this part of the mission. Still, for her, that wasn't the most interesting event that occurred before the clash with Gangrel.<p>

* * *

><p>Although Robin paid attention to the battlefield as a whole, with the use of a telescope, and her commands sent to the troops via special wind magic created by Miriel, her recent attention was focused on a certain Pegasus Knight. The main forces were a distance away, however, Sumia and Gaius were dealing with the stragglers that the others left behind in their wake. Still, that was hard work, even if they battled in a fort. Their opponents had the advantage, slowly chipping away at her, even though she was taking down a majority. Gaius was already injured, thanks to a misstep early on, and they had missed their best chance at healing him, thanks to Chrom and Cordelia needing to be healed before they left the range of the staffs. What made matters worse were the enemy Hero and two Mages making their way to the occupied fort; all three were in prime fighting condition.<p>

"Change of plans," Robin said in a hastened voice, snapping down her telescope and pocketing it. "Frederick and myself will go out and distract the enemy forces. In the meantime, Maribelle will get as close to Sumia as possible, heal her with a Physic or Catharsis, and then Libra will use the Rescue staff to get Maribelle out of attack range." As she said this, Robin climbed on to Frederick's mare, maneuvering herself in a side saddle position in front of the knight, and pulled out a tome.

"You're not going out there." Frederick said, glaring down at the occupant. "I can take Lady Maribelle out, have Sumia healed, and Libra can use the Rescue to teleport both of us out."

Robin shook her head. "That would be fine in normal cases, but there are three enemy forces making their way to Sumia, and one has been promoted. Sumia can't handle that yet." The three others looked into the horizon, seeing three figures moving closer to their friends. "The other fighting units are too far to call back. This is our best option right now." She looked over to Maribelle and Libra.

"Very well," Libra nodded, pulling out a Rescue staff, ready to use it.

Maribelle on the other hand bit her lip. She looked at Frederick; the man was staring at the Pegasus Knight, but he had the same worried expression on his face. Chrom wouldn't like this turn of events, but they couldn't leave Sumia in such a situation.

"Frederick? Maribelle?" Robin's voice called to them, as she looked between the two and then out into the desert. "We have to hurry." Although her voice was calm, she was squirming in Frederick's saddle, looking like she would pull the reigns right out of the man's hands, if neither gave approval.

Finally, Frederick sighed, and without a spoken reply, he readied a Short Spear. He held the reigns securely, ready to charge. Focus turned to Maribelle. The healer turned to look at the fort, then glanced at the figures getting closer. She then turned to look at the battlefield where the majority of their units fought. As Robin said, everyone else was too far away.

"Very well," Maribelle begrudgingly replied, readying her own mare, Lady.

"Go!" Was the only reply, as the two horses raced towards their destinations; Maribelle to the fort, Frederick to the enemy forces.

"Keep Robin safe!" Maribelle shouted to the Great Knight, as their distance grew further.

"Yes, milady," Was the reply.

* * *

><p>As instructed, Maribelle got within range, healing Sumia with a Catharsis. Feeling the rejuvenation, Sumia turned to see Maribelle nearby. She waved her thanks, but Maribelle didn't notice, her attention on Frederick and Robin. Distracted by Maribelle's non-reaction, Sumia and Gaius turned to look, following her gaze. They paled, realizing the forces that were heading their…no, Frederick's way. Yes, Frederick could handle them, but the problem was who was with him. Worried, Sumia readied the Pegasus to leave the fort, but Gaius held her back, shaking his head. "They can handle it Stumbles." Although his voice didn't sound certain. "We have our own troubles to worry about." He then pushed her out of the way of a weak fire spell. She nodded, but looked at the distant brown mare. Suddenly a glimmer caught her eye from the side; she saw Maribelle disappear to the safety of the backline.<p>

Frederick's horse, Cardamom, raced towards her enemies. The fighters, noticing the new threat, readied themselves and charged in the new direction; this was the scene Maribelle caught as she teleported to Libra's side.

The noble was worried; how would these two Shepherds fight together when she had never seen them partnered?

* * *

><p>The Mages stood at the ready, preparing an Elthunder and an Elfire spell. Simultaneously, the incantations were launched, however, Frederick's steed continued its charge.<p>

"Predictable," the Tactician scoffed, knocking the two spells away with her own magic. Without flinching from the static right in front of him, Frederick chucked the Short Spear, hitting the Elfire Mage straight in the chest. He fell. Cardamom raced towards the fallen corpse.

The second Mage, fear in his eyes, started readying another spell, waiting for his chance. Frederick pulled out the lance, flicking it to rid the blood. He put the spear in his holder and made a sharp U-turn. The Mage started casting, but before he could throw the magic, he received a blast of Arcthunder. As his vision darkened, he saw the cause. The magic user was flat on her back, being held in position by the rider, one arm under and the other from above; as if she was expecting him to attack when the steed was most vulnerable. This sent the Elthunder Mage flying, knocking him out as he hit the earth.

Frederick got the Tactician upright in the saddle, then focused on the Hero standing before them. Silver Axe in hand, he stood, waiting for Frederick's charge, and charge he did. The Great Knight's steed dashed forward, while rider pulled out his Silver Lance. The Hero tossed up his axe, dodging the attack with a back flip. He landed on his feet, catching his weapon, and with the landing's momentum, bounded to the horse, swinging in reply; however, the horse instinctively jumped out of the way.

That's when the Hero saw it, as the horse skidded in the dirt. The gallant image stunned him, forcing him to pause. He, a man who had fought and lived through hundreds of battles under the Mad King, had never seen a duo like this. There, standing in the saddle was the magic user. How she got into position while the steed was in motion, he had no idea. Her feet were on the saddle, she was leaning on the shoulder of the Great Knight, who held both her legs steady. The same hand also tightly gripped the reins of the horse. Still, he seemed to pay no heed to the battle in front of him, instead, he glanced behind, as if expecting another enemy to attack while he was busy.

Before the Hero, crackling electricity could be tasted in the air; the magic user had switched her tome to the most lethal, but not uncommon, Thoron. Their eyes locked. If he moved now, maybe he could dodge, but he was spellbound, his legs not listening to his brain. "Checkmate." She had a calm, collected voice, she then shouted, "THORON!" The blast hit him dead in the chest. The soul was gone as the body arched in the sky; his corpse hit the ground and bounced from the force.

* * *

><p>The side skirmish ended, and Maribelle and Libra stood stunned. Yes, both fighters had skill alone, but the combination between the two was as if they had been fighting together for a lifetime, although they only met a few months earlier.<p>

"Did…Did you know they could do that?" Libra asked the senior Shepherd.

"No, no I didn't. I have never seen them fight together before. They're usually on opposite sides of the battlefield."

As Frederick returned, Cardamom in a quick trot, the two said nothing, only nodded when the knight did so. He turned around, giving Robin the full view of the battlefield. Without moving from her seat, she pulled out the telescope, staring at the distant battles.

A few minutes passed, and she looked back and forth between the main battle and Sumia's stand at the fort.

"We can go now," Robin's voice breaking the silence. "Sumia's done. We should go heal her, and then head toward the main battle." Without waiting for a response, Frederick's horse galloped off. Maribelle offered a hand-up to Libra, and the two followed behind Cardamom's dust.

* * *

><p>"That was amazing!" Sumia squealed as she and Gaius were being healed outside the fort. Robin and Frederick remained at the ready. "It was just like old times!"<p>

Gaius whistled, even with a lollipop in his cheek. "That was pretty sweet, Bubbles." The Thief complimented.

"It was nothing," Robin replied, eye still looking through the telescope, watching as the main forces were reaching Gangrel. "We're actually pretty rusty, being that at our prime, I wouldn't need Frederick's grip holding me."

"You probably didn't need it. I just didn't want to get scolded by milord if you fell."

"No confidence in me, eh?" She hmphed, hitting Frederick's chest plate with the back of her hand. The knight didn't respond.

"Sumia? Did Robin and Frederick do such things before?" Maribelle asked as the Mend took effect.

"Oh, yes! Quite a bit! Or at least similar feats. Paired together, they were out strongest unit! They were always the center of attention in battle, distracting the enemies with their acrobatics and sting! I still don't understand why you two stopped your performances."

"I realized that being paired with Frederick all the time wasn't allowing me to gauge our whole battle force. So, we decided, before Maribelle's kidnapping by Gangrel, that we would fight with other people, just so I could understand the Shepherd's battle strength. How can I plan if I don't know how to best use our forces?"

"Have you tried your fancy tricks with others?" Gaius asked, pocketing some rubbish and sticking another bear-shaped sweet in his mouth.

"Tried with Stahl, he couldn't do it. With Sully, I'm too scared to get near her beast. It seems to think I'm his sworn enemy or something. As well, can't do it with the Pegasi since it's too dangerous in the air. Frederick is also the only one with the experience and observance to match my pace when I move in the saddle. Finally, for some reason, Cardamom is the only steed who seems unaffected by the shift in atmosphere due to the magic, so that's also a plus."

"She just has more experience in the battlefield compared to Stahl's horse." He patted Cardamom lovingly.

"Are we all set now?" Robin finally looked to the troops near her.

"Yes, we're done." Libra said, healing the last of Gaius's wounds.

"Good to go, yah Stumbles?" Gauis cracked his neck, then stretched out his arms from behind. He bent forward, getting the kinks out of his body.

"Yes!" Stum…Sumia replied, seated on her Pegasus who swooped in agreement.

"Very well, we're going to do a little rearranging…"

* * *

><p>In preparation for Olivia's training, Panne and Kellam were keeping the Hand-Axe swinging Fighter away. Nowi and Gregor on the other hand remained out of Gangrel's reach. Nowi was close to fainting, while Gregor didn't have the speed to dodge Gangrel's strikes. This left Cordelia and Chrom to fight the Mad King…<p>

* * *

><p>Before seeing the Mad King, he heard him, that distinct laughter, almost like a nail being scraped on a chalkboard. "My, my little princeling, here without your prized Tactician? Fighting instead with a little green-horn I see. Pretty little thing too, better built then that flat-chested wench." Gangrel eyed Olivia, licking his lips. It was obvious what thoughts the man had as his eyes wandered up and down the Dancer, lingering on her breasts and waist. Chrom stepped in front of the embarrassed girl, blocking her from view. "Oh what fun we'll have girly, but first, I have a princeling to crush." Again with the laughter, oh how this man loved listening to his own voice.<p>

Distracted, Chrom took the initiative, pouncing forward. "My sister wished for our people to know peace, Gangrel!" He shouted these words, each syllable distinct. "But as long as you draw breath, it can never come! For Ylisse!"

Realizing what the man was doing, Gangrel laughed, Levin Sword above his head. "Come, princeling! I've sharpened my sword just for you!" Just as he was about to strike, he felt a change of wind from behind, so he jumped out of the way of major injury; however, the Steel Lance did some minor damage. As Chrom acted as a distraction, Cordelia had took to the air with Lon`qu, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Even with slight injury, Gangrel just cackled. "So you brought along some maggots, eh? Well no worries, you just have to…SQUASH THEM!" With that, the Plegian King retaliated. Lightning struck the Pegasus Knight and passenger, but neither gave him the pleasure of their screams. Cordelia bit the inside of her lips to keep noise from leaving her mouth, while Lon`qu grunted softly. Her mount turned in the air, glaring at the man who hurt her master. The Pegasus wished to charge, but staid the desire, well-trained by the genius.

"Go back, Cordelia!" Chrom ordered, dashing forward in attack.

"But, milord-!"

"Go!" His sword locked with the King's, the Plegian's laughter echoed throughout the lonely plains. "If you're hit again…AGH!" He couldn't finish his thought, as his body was electrocuted by the Levin Sword. Gangrel jumped back, laughing at the sound Chrom made.

"Mi-!" And Cordelia was gone, whisked away with a Rescue Staff.

"…Hold him…Thirty seconds…" Chrom heard a familiar whisper, one he hadn't heard for a while; it was his Tactician passing on an order.

"…Thirty seconds…" He repeated under his breathe. Not impossible, but it would be Grima's Hell. He glanced at Olivia, who nodded when their eyes met. Naga save them both!

He charged, a preemptive strike to the occupied Trickster. Metal clashed between them. Chrom swung, parried, stabbed. Although Gangrel gave ground, he remained laughing, blocking each strike. Still, he didn't swing the jagged blade down, only parried.

"…Twenty seconds…Just beware when he raises the blade…using a Levin sword in normal swordplay is close to impossible…"

Only ten seconds had passed, even though it already felt like minutes. His muscles were screaming due to the stress, but Chrom kept swinging, sweat drenching his brow, every swing meant a second more of living. Every now and again Olivia threw in a hit, but that was easily blocked.

"Is that all you have, princeling?" The Trickster yawned. "You're quite the bore now." The King jumped back. "Let's end this!"

Lightning flashed, but just as it was about to hit, Olivia pushed both of them out of the way.

"…Fifteen seconds Chrom…Hold on…"

Another flash; Chrom threw Olivia away from him, taking the full blast of the hit. His scream echoed in the wasteland.

"Chrom!"

"…Chrom!..." Two voices, one name; the shriek of Olivia, the whispered exclamation from Robin.

He couldn't stand, the only reason he didn't fall was thanks to Falchion being plunged into the earth, helping him to remain kneeling.

"…Ten seconds…" He could hear the bitterness in Robin's voice. "…Stay strong!..."

Gangrel's gaze turned to the Dancer. "See darling," Eyes leering at the long-haired beauty. "Your little boyfriend here is finished, why don't I show you how a real man has fun." Gangrel inched towards the Dancer, but she remained glued to the spot. Her eyes were not on Gangrel though, it was on Chrom.

She didn't speak, but her mouth moved. "Don't! Give! Up!" Even with as little skill as she had, Olivia charged the King, glare in her eyes.

"…Five seconds, Chrom…"

Gangrel slapped Olivia with the back of his hand. "Seems I have to rough you up, before the fun, girlie. Oh what fun we shall have…"

"…Four…"

Chrom forced himself to move; he had to protect her. Not again!

"…Three…"

He lunged, blocking Gangrel's path to Olivia.

"…Two...Make sure you're touching!..."

"You're first, eh Prince-y? How disgustingly chivalrous." Gangrel raised his sword.

"…One…"

Olivia grabbed the Lord's cape.

"MILORD!"

"Captain!"

"Prince Chrom!"

In a second, three familiar shouts echoed around him. Three lances, Silver, Killer, Steel, stabbed at the Mad King. Gangrel jumped back, concentration gone. Two missed, but the Silver gauged the madman.

"…Zero…"

Chrom was shining, and then disappeared before the Plegian King.

* * *

><p>Rescued by Libra, Chrom was now being healed by Maribelle's Mend. Gregor stood guard over the Tactician; the girl however was focused on the battle in the distance.<p>

Gangrel was definitely on his toes now, dealing with three paired units. Frederick was leading the charge, while Nowi flew behind, blasting whenever there were openings. Her shouts of, "You stupid bully!" even reached them.

Gaius and Lon`qu stayed near their charges, Sumia and Cordelia respectively. Although they could probably get in a good swing, the two remained focused on their one order: GUARD.

This allowed Cordelia and Sumia to focus on attacking. Although they rarely hit vital points, the scratches were adding up. Fighting on his own, Gangrel was wearing out, still, even in retreat, he was able to send a blast out with his Levin Sword.

"Finished…" Maribelled let out a sigh, a trickle of sweat on her face.

"Thanks…" That's all Chrom could muster. He stretched, then walked forward to Robin's side. "I'm going back," The Exalt said to no one in general.

"You will stay right here, milord!"

"I agree with Maribelle, Prince Chrom. You've just finished healing."

"I'll go with you, Chrom."

"You'll stay right here, Robin."

"No one will let you go back on your own, Chrom. Olivia has to prepare for her training, Maribelle isn't ready for a head-to-head battle, and neither Gregor nor Libra can give you the support you need; I'm the only choice left."

"You two aren't listening! Neither of you are going anywhere near that madman!" Maribelle slightly knocked the two on their heads with her parasol.

"Maribelle, Chrom has to. He's-"

"Chrom doesn't have to do anything! He's done more than enough!" Tears glistened the noble's eyes. "The others can finish it!"

"I agree with Maribelle, milord."

"I-I do to…" The Dancer said; a sad, worried look in her eyes.

Chrom looked at Olivia, then shook his head. "I have to."

"You-!"

"Pretty rose do the shut lip now, yes?" Gregor finally spoke, surprising Maribelle by putting his finger on her lips. The Valkyrie glared at him, an angry blush on her face. She slapped his hand away, but let him finish talking. "Leader must be doing the final hitting. Not just Shepherd morale boost, yah? For national acceptance and proving ascension worth."

"It's as Gregor says. As well, I doubt Chrom will accept anything less, even though it goes against Emmeryn's principles."

Chrom scoffed. "Yes, I'm truly a battle-loving, destructive idiot…" Robin was right; he wasn't Emm…

Robin sighed. "You really can't take a jab right now, can you? Anyway, if you were just a destructive idiot, this rag-tag team wouldn't still be following you. You may not have Lady Emmeryn's pacifism and patience, but you have her principles. You will do what you can for Ylisse, and they will accept you, for you. I…we…no one expects you to be your sister, Chrom. Just hold true to your ideologies, and we'll be there for you!"

"Gregor agree with tactician girl."

"As do I, Prince Chrom."

"We'll be by your side, milord."

"M-my opinion isn't much, milord, but I agree with the others."

Chrom looked at each speaker. "Thank you, thank you all…May your continued support be my guiding light. Thank you…" A small cheer echoed in the group. He turned to Robin, placing a hand on her shoulder. "…Together?" Chrom finally relenting on pairing with Robin.

"Together!" She turned. "Maribelle, I'd like you to travel ahead with Gregor, staying out of range, then teleport us to as close to the Mad King as possible. When done, return to the others."

The Valkyrie sighed knowing there was no use arguing. "Very well…" She begrudgingly offered her hand to Gregor, then galloped off to the edge of the battlefield. Using the Rescue staff, she summoned the pair, then turned. "Stay safe."

"Gregor be doing the cheering real loud! You listen, yah!" The Mercenary waved as Lady retreated.

The two started running to Gangrel, the steel clashing barely audible.

"A hundred percent…"

"Pardon?"

"The chance we'll win. Because you saved us, we trust you. Because we trust you, we follow you. Because we follow you, you'll carry the day."

"…Thank you, Robin."

"Don't thank me just yet, we still got a madman to defeat!"

"You just said!-"

"Can't you take a joke?"

Chrom chuckled a little, but turned serious again. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"Don't apologize, it's what friends do. We might not be around each other as much after this war, but I'll always be in calling range. Don't forget!"

"Very well!"

"I'll block anything that comes your way, just focus on Gangrel."

"Got it…" Chrom narrowed his eyes, focusing solely on the Mad King.

* * *

><p>"Where's the Captain?" Sumia launched another attack. Although she hated the Trickster in front of her, she still admired that he had the endurance to only be grazed, even though this three-on-one fight had been going for at least five minutes.<p>

"If he doesn't hurry, Butler," Gaius nodded to Frederick. "Or Red," looking at Cordelia, "Will take the kill hit." Unlike Sumia, Cordelia was starting to make progress, getting closer to a lethal strike.

"He'll be-" Frederick grunted, Cardamom jumping out of the way of a lightning blast. "-Here shortly. They're near."

"Actually…we're…behind you…Freddy-bear…" Gulps of breath were heard from behind the fighters. They turned to see Chrom standing gallantly, although his face looked worriedly at Robin. Hands holding her knees, she was breathing heavy, as if she was on Frederick's training field for the first time.

"Stand down, I'll finish this."

"So the princeling is back." Although Gangrel laughed, he was ragged, looking much worse than when Chrom left him.

"I've come to end you."

"Do you need support, milord?" Cardamom trotted to stand near Chrom, while at the same time, blocking the Tactician.

"I'll be fine, Robin will do."

Frederick looked at the platinum. Breathing heavily, she glared at Frederick to get out of the way. "Understood,milord…" He trotted to the side to give Robin view of the field, but remained right next to her to block anything lethal. The two Pegasus Knights landed next to their lord, their supports next to them; Sumia to the left, Cordelia the right. It was a gallant image. They were all tired and scrapped, but their closeness showed the support they had for one another.

"Ready, Robin?"

"Always, Chrom." Although one hand was still on her knee, her right hand now held an Elwind at the ready.

"Right." He turned to Gangrel, grim look on his face. "Gangrel!" Chrom started his charge. "Your end has come!"

"Come, Prince-y!" He held up his sword. "To your DEATH!"

Chrom plowed forward, low to the ground. He knew what was coming, but paid no heed. Robin had promised protection, and she would follow through.

Three simultaneous streaks of lightning came shooting down from the heavens. "BACK-!" One blast of wind hit a Levin strike high above. "-OFF!" The second, blasted away a foot above cobalt hair. The last blast was ignored, being wide of Chrom by several feet.

The Lord had greatly closed the distance. In distress, the Mad King tried to stab the Ylissean, but it was easily dodged. He knocked away the sword to the left, making the weapon fly out of Gangrel's hand. Chrom then lowered his center of gravity, angling Falchion up. He pushed off the ground, using the momentum to pierce right through the Plegian King.

"F-fool of...a prince..."

Gangrel coughed blood onto the back of the Lord's dirtied cape, then looked at the man who stabbed him.

"Your people care not for you..."

A ragged gasp, the Mad King's hand grasped part of the cape that lay over Chrom's left shoulder.

"You are...alone..."

He slumped onto the Ylissean, blood trickled down his mouth

"As every man lives…"

He took in a breath.

"And dies..."

His eyes glassy.

"…Alone..."

The last words whispered, only being heard by Chrom.

The prince shook his head. "You're wrong, Gangrel." He shoved the corpse off Falchion, flicking red over the landscape. "Unlike you, I am not alone. I have friends who will stand by me at my highs and lows. Even if it takes decades to gain my people's trust, I know my allies will always be by my side." He kneeled to the corpse, and closed its eyes; maybe the kindest thing anyone had ever done for such a twisted man.

"Everyone, let's go. We still have a few more things to do." Chrom stood up, walking towards the smaller party of Shepherds on the horizon. Shouts of acknowledgments were the reply.

"What of the corpse, milord?"

"Inform someone to bury or cremate the body. Do not desecrate it. Other than that, do as you see fit, Frederick."

"Yes, milord." Frederick looked at the body, then moved it out of the direct heat of the sun, being that they would be here for at least two hours longer. He wrote down the note of where the body was and what needed to be done, which he would send Nowi to deliver back to camp once Olivia's training began. The knight then started towards the group, easily catching up to the party.

* * *

><p>The group had split, at Robin's command: Nowi had left for camp to inform the others of victory and the need to bury the bodies; Cordelia and Sumia remained at some forts far from the others, keeping the Fighter occupied; Libra stood out of range, healing the Pegasus Knights if injury was made; the remaining group lined up as Robin asked, waiting to help train, and get better acquainted, with the Dancer. Gaius, Lon`qu, Gregor, Panne, and Kellam waited far off in the distance. The opposing side started off with Chrom, Robin, Frederick, and Maribelle. They would later be joined by Libra once the Fighter destroyed his weapon. Chrom offered to be Olivia's first partner.<p>

* * *

><p>Maribelle was quiet. She remained seated on her horse, pink parasol blocking the sun. She looked briefly at the two standing side-by-side, a bit further away; the Great Knight held a blue parasol above the platinum's head while she read a book titled, <em>One Thousand Baby Names and Their Meaning<em>. Realizing she was staring, the Valkyrie turned away, and closed her eyes to meditate. Something was strange about those two; being so in synch on the battlefield, yet rarely showing such prowess while in training. She thought it odd earlier, but being in the middle of a battle, random thoughts could not be thoroughly analyzed.

The wind blew, and she heard Frederick's voice. "It seems we need to work on your endurance, Robin."

Maribelle looked up, realizing the wind was carrying over their conversation. She was not fond of eavesdropping, but if they were in speaking distance, and knowingly spoke where she could possibly hear, it was their own fault. She turned her head away, staring at the distant Pegasus Knights; however, she turned every now and again, when natural. The blonde hoped they would think her distracted, and continue the chat.

The Great Knight glanced down at the Tactician, a slight smirk on his face. "You could barely keep up with Chrom when following him into battle."

Was he antagonizing her friend? His tone was slightly different from usual though, something she never heard from him before. Was this…joking?

Robin turned towards her. Their eyes locked. Maribelle wanted to turn away, but couldn't; the Tactician had that ability. Then she winked, and the gaze was broken. Did Robin know that she was listening?

"Pregnant here, Frederick. Doesn't help that I was banned from training for the past few weeks." Pout on her face.

Maribelle got her answer…

"Duly noted. Do you wish to sit?" Robin looked up from the book and shrugged. Frederick seemed to take that as a yes being that he climbed off and easily lifted Robin onto Cardamom. He then returned to the saddle. "You've gotten quite heavy. Too much bear I expect."

The platinum's face was amused, but she still smacked part of the brunette's unarmored leg, making even the battle-hardened knight wince.

How strangely intimate…

"Whose fault is that, then? …Anyway, you know I can't eat bear right now. The smell makes me sick." She put a hand over her stomach, rubbing the slight bump that was visible if closely inspected.

Robin couldn't stand bear right now? Maribelle knew that a woman's sense of taste and smell could be delicate when pregnant; however she didn't know that Robin currently had an aversion to her favorite dish, even though she was put in charge of the Tactician's pregnancy…And yet, by how the conversation was flowing, Frederick did? Yes, the man was attentive, but to this extent? Did Robin tell him? Why?

"Some bear still seems fine for you."

"The bear won't last long with that type of attitude."

What were they talking about? Was this some type of inside joke?

"Why is that? Will he be skewered?"

"Me thinks the bear forgets that the Shepherds will gladly hunt him." Frederick didn't reply; for whatever reason, the last statement silenced him, turning his face grim.

Bear…That seemed to be the key word. Well, Robin liked bear; that much was common knowledge. The only other thought was Frederick, being that Robin had taken to calling him "Freddy-bear." Why would the bear be killed though?...No, that wasn't Robin's phrasing. Hunted…Why would…

…No, it couldn't be! …But, thinking back on everything, it made sense; his over-attentiveness to Robin, his strange behavior now-and-again, the closeness the two shared…But, no! Frederick wasn't like that! She had known the man for over a decade, he would never…Wait, what were Robin's words weeks ago? …

_"The night that he proposed, I…I forced myself on him…Not physically, Maribelle…most of the Shepherds could easily stop me if they chose. I mean mentally. I pushed him until he gave into my request."_

…Mentally forced. That made a little more sense for the knight. He had proposed to Robin, so he must have deep feelings for her. True, they only knew each other for a month, but she had seen proposals offered in court in half that time. The fastest she had heard of was a week.

Back to the matter at hand though; that would mean, he would do almost anything if asked to, being that he was a trained dog. True, he didn't seem the type to have…intercourse…before marriage, but if she forced him into the corner through her sharp wit and word play, the man, really any man, would probably succumb. Sir Frederick might be a perfectionist and one of the more veteran fighters in the Shepherds, but he was still a man…A man who was about to be hit in the head with a parasol!

The Valkyrie nudged her mare to a trot, reaching the pair. Both turned to look at her; Frederick with his usual stoic visage and Robin a smirk on her face, as if she already knew what the noble was about to do.

"Is somethi-" A parasol smacked the back of his head before he could continue. "What in Naga's name was that for, milady!" His voice louder than he planned, obviously angry for being hit for no apparent reason.

"That," Maribelle held the parasol, as if a rapier, in her right hand. "Was for not saying anything about you and Robin." She flipped the weapon, catching the tip, then smacked the handle in her left hand's open palm. "Now take your punishment like a man, Sir Knight." Her demeanor was filled with blood-lust.

"Wh-what do you mean, milady?" He stuttered.

"Do not play dumb with me, Frederick! You may have been talking softly, but you do realize voices can carry in the wind." His facial emotion shifted, worry now dominant on his face. No, he did not know, or notice. "As well, do you think me daft to not realize all these little hints you knowingly, or unknowingly, left?"

"Well, I for one didn't think you would figure it out, Maribelle." Robin looked up from her book, joining the conversation. "But, I also thought that Frederick the Wary would pay more attention to his surroundings and notice that Maribelle was listening."

"You knew!"

"Of course I knew. If I'm the Shepherd's tactician, I have to be aware of any sudden changes, as should you, proud veteran knight under Lord Chrom. Anyway, I figured it really wouldn't matter, after all, you have several more troubling ordeals ahead."

"Like what?" Frederick snapped, irate at his wife. He had given up on denying the truth.

"The rest of the Shepherds. What is Maribelle's one reaction compared to the reactions of the whole army?" Frederick blanched. Maribelle was still angry at the knight, but she pitied the man…Just a tad. "Anyway, it seems you forgot about your biggest challenge, Freddy-bear." She put her head back down, then flipped the page, returning to her reading.

"…And that is?"

"You promised we would talk to Chrom on the way back."

"GODS!" Not only pale, Frederick was now terror-stricken.

Robin laughed and patted his leg. "Take a little pity on the man, Maribelle. One hit was enough, right?"

"Very well," She raised her weapon, returning it back to its normal function of being a parasol. "But, only because you asked, darling."

"Thank you." Robin looked up at Frederick, kissing his chin. A little life returned to him, but that just led him to tighten his slackened hold around her. "Don't worry, love. Chrom won't hurt you too badly." The women laughed at Frederick's facial reaction; something that was indescribable, but definitely a sight Lissa would have sold her title of "Princess" to see. Frederick then dove his face into Robin's hair, trying to hide his embarrassment and worry.

As the laughter subsided, the platinum rubbed her brunette's leg in an affectionate way. "Don't think about it for now Frederick. We have hours of waiting ahead." No response; she changed the subject. "All kidding aside, Frederick. What do you think of the name Morgan?"

* * *

><p>The Shepherds were traveling back to camp. All parts of the campaign were a success: Gangrel was defeated, Emmeryn avenged, and Olivia a Dark Flier; although why the army had more Second Seals than Master Seals, no one knew.<p>

Why the others didn't notice their leader, their tactician, and the second-in-command lagging, Maribelle wasn't certain. Still, there was one thing she wanted, as she also started falling out of the Shepherd mob; she wanted to see how the royal reacted when he learned his two closest friends duped the Shepherds for several months.

**A/N:**

**...so, the main story is over; however, there will be one more chapter. Maybe some of you can guess what ;D ...or maybe not :P**

**On another note, the reason I was worried that I wouldn't finish is because instead of concentrating on this story, I was writing an one-shot! Please take a look at it. It's kinda long, but I like it~ It will be put up later today or tomorrow (It might already be up if you're reading this after 1/27/2015)**

**One more chapter!**


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